Thursday, July 14, 2011

Welcome

Nothing says welcome like color in the front garden. There is a fine line when using perennials in the front of your home, so easy to lapse into messy and floppy. Staking, deadheading, cutting down and general tidiness are important tasks during the growing season, whoever said perennials are carefree?

Amaranthus green and Love Lies Bleeding are in the raised bed on the south side. They seem to like the heat and add a little interest as one walks the path. I will begin cutting them soon for arrangements.

Heliopsis Sweet Lorraine is also along the south side. It is about two feet tall and blooms all summer, love the variegated leaf!

Zahara Zinnias are doing very well in the hot south side border.

Two borders intersect with Limelight Hydrangea as the anchor.

Becky has center stage right now but soon Limelight will take over.

Miss Amelia Daylily

This is a rebloomer if you cut the stems to the ground. I do not shear this one back until later because of the reblooming. Orienpet lilies bloom in the background.

It looks like I have an apparition in some of the photos. Let's hope it is just a smudged lens!

Well, I have cleaned off my lens and am headed towards the back garden again just to catch up with a border I missed and some changes since the last border post. On the way back on the north side I see another border that is often not appreciated for its beauty.

Astilbe Sprite was brought from my last home, very delicate color and doesn't seem to multiply for me in this location.

Astilbe Chinesis Visions

The veggie garden is a raised bed border along the back driveway with daylilies at one end, Vera Jameson Sedum and Nasturtiums.

Even the eggplant puts on a beautiful show with its secret lavender flowers.

I have a bountiful harvest of peppers this year. I had better get busy picking and making hot peppers, onion, tomato and herbs in olive oil.

The nasturtium seeds were from last year but they all germinated and add some color to a vegetable garden.

Believe it or not, this is my Bronze Sweet Potato Vine in my concrete planters by the garage, I have never seen this vine bloom before!

The island border in the back garden has popped with lilies and phlox, Orienpet Lavon and Bubblegum Phlox.

Bubblegum Phlox

This was an expensive phlox last year and I even wondered this spring if it was going to come back. Wow, it was certainly worth it, looks like a three year old specimen!

39 comments:

Fabulous borders. Your Heliopsis with the variegated foliage is an eye-catcher and Becky is a show stopper. Love the Astilbes and how wonderful to see blooms on your Sweet Potato Vine! I just adore all the colour you have.

Your garden looks amazing! As for that Sweet Potato Vine. . . never!Check out my post of Hens and Chicks. . . I have never seen this before either! What is going on? Someone said that a rooster must have entered my pot!! Hilarious! Enjoy another beautiful summer day!

How can you stand to live in all that color?! I would be delirious. Your garden is my dream. You're just great and taking the time to share it is the biggest bonus. We are the lucky ones. Thanks so much.:) Jenny

Ah, there is that Ninebark—I have been waiting to see it. It looks great there. When do you cut it back—right after it blooms? Did you grow those petunias from seed?

What really took my breath away is that border with the daisies , pink daylilies and is that pink spiky plant speedwell (?). If so, I am so impressed by the size. I planted one this year, but I doubt if it will ever look that good.

Is cutting the stems all the way to the ground the secret to getting daylilies that are supposed to rebloom to do so? I thought Stella O’Doro (sp?) was supposed to rebloom, but mine does not. I do deadhead it, but not to the ground.

I never knew eggplant blooms were so beautiful.

I have had my sweet potato vine bloom before. It is always a thrill to see the morning-glory like flowers.

The bubblegum phlox looks great. I don’t see any mildew on any of your phlox. Mine is getting mildew this year. Strange since we have had little rain for the past three weeks.

I really enjoyed your post today, Eileen. Your garden is beautiful. It must stop people as they walk down the sidewalk.

Eileen your beds are just gorgeous. You have so much color blooming in them now. I love the pink plant with the lilies. IS it a Salvia? I really like the Heliopsis Sweet Lorraine with its variegated leaves. So pretty. I like variegated leaves on plants. I wondered what color of blooms would be on the Bronze Potato vine. I know the dark ones have pink blooms.

The directions with the Summer Wine Ninebark is to clip it back up until August 1, because then it sets bud for next year. It is to give it a better shape and keep it under control. When mature it has a cascading effect.

The Silver Tidal Wave Petunias I began under lights during the winter. I would only use them on the ground as they are quite rambling in a container.

Stella D'Oro never rebloomed for me either and it required so much dividing I finally said goodbye to it. Try Eileen Clymer, larger, but striking and has been blooming for many weeks the first year. R.Seawright carries it, very reputable firm out east. I will take another picture of it and send it to you.

Thanks for linking up to Cottage Flora Thursday's! I am loving the weeping blooms in that first photo - tell me what those are? so curious if i can grow them here in my Zone? they are so pretty! xoxo, tracie

Tracie, you can grow these in your zone. They are an annual for me. They are both Amaranthus with the red one known as Love Lies Bleeding. They can be dried and are expensive if you buy them at the florist for arrangements.

Your flowers are fabulous! You have so much going on there. I do like the delicate pink of that Astilbe Sprite. Those different Heucheras all planted together works really well too. Your Zahara Zinnis have a lot more pink in them than mine. I am very jealous of your yummy looking peppers!

The Astilbe Sprite is lovely and it was much more floriforus in my last garden. I wonder if it has too much competition with the ground cover. Maybe, I will trim around them this fall to see if this makes a difference.

Eileen, You have the most luscious garden photos! Starting with your awesome banner photo, each is a total visual extravaganza. Seriously. I wonder if you get any flack for growing Lythrum. I love it and grow it and it's never, ever shown any signs of being invasive. I think this poor plant is getting a bad rap. It looks wonderful in your border with the daylilies and daisies. It's a good thing I'm not driving in your neighborhood. I would probably crash from not being able to keep my eyes on the street. :)

Hi Eileen, Gosh, your garden is looking so colorful! I especially love your header shot with that perfect combination of phlox and lilies. Your vegetable garden puts mine to shame. I don't think I have a single pepper yet! Finally, I have to comment on the Love Lies Bleeding. What an interesting flower this old fashioned beauty has.

thanks for linking in this week. I am always in awe of all the different flowers everyone flaunts. It is a pleasure to tour and see all the gorgeous blooms...and I always enjoy stopping by here! I hope you will link in again soon!(¯`v´¯)`*.¸.*´Glenda/Tootsie ¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•.

Just discovered your beautiful garden blog and what inspirations you have given me. That Blue Paradise Phlox has been on my Wish List for 2 yrs. now. You seem to be successful with yours. A friend has been dividing her phlox with me for last 2 yrs. but some are pink/mauve color, some are light lavender. She doesn't remember what variety they are. I'm convinced that it takes a good 2 or 3 yrs. for a phlox to produce a lush plant like yours. Patience is not in my vocabulary. I want instant gardens but I know after 2 years of wintersowing, it doesn't happen instantly. What kind of light does your phlox get? Morning and afternoon sun? Moist location? Where do you buy your garden phlox? Locally or mail order? Is Buttergum phlox the real name for that pink phlox? Love both of those. I WS "David" this winter but he croaked once I planted him in the flowerbeds. I'd like to try again this year but may just look for a starter plant from a local nursery. Same way with Heliotrope"Marine"..I won't try growing it from seed again.

Thanks for visiting. Blue Paradise is my favorite, needs a little support as it gets bigger, but worth it. I have it in several places, full sun, early am sun and part shade with some late afternoon sun. It does great in all situations just blooms a little later and lasts a little longer in the part shade.

The name is Bubblegum Phlox and this one will probably be my next favorite. It was very large and only the first year of bloom, put in last fall as a one gallon plant.

I buy most of my perennials locally and only online when I can't find it at a nursery.

I plant under lights indoors and have been quite successful with this so far.

What's the secret of how one can produced the layered look like yours? So far I am able to put my garden phlox inside those garden rings but I bet that won't hold it once it gets as bushy as yours or is that two plants in one spot of same variety?

I got frustrated with the wire legs to that plant support ring not staying on so once I got them connected, I took green garden twine and lashed the legs to the plant ring. Works like a charm and when you chose to remove it, all you have to do is cut the garden twine. When I put mine away for the winter, I tape them to the plant ring with Painter's blue tape. Easy to spot when I'm ready to use. Masking tape would work too, without leaving any residue.

I've got my eye out for that daylily called Chcago rosy and Chicago apache..Thanks for sharing your opinion on the Stella d'ora vs Eileen Clymer..I had two Stella d'ora plants before and they didn't produce that many blooms, mostly foliage. I'm adding the yellow one you recommended to my Wish list.

Do you grow any bee balm? Don't recall seeing any; maybe I hadn't got to pictures of them yet.